Reviews by JTahoe:

S - Some wheat, malt, yeast, and lemons--but not very pleasing. In fact, there is a twinge of an off aroma I can't quite place which has been present in all three bottles I have sampled.

T - Quite mild overall (though with a twang of bitterness at the finish) and fairly lacking in the flavors I usually most enjoy in a wheat beer... though, yes, there are wheat and yeast flavors with a distinct lemon peel flavoring. But everything is a bit watered down except for that off character in the background which I detected in the aroma... like stomach acid... not pleasing.

M - Crisp with moderate carbonation.

D - OK on the drinkability... I will probably avoid this in the future, though not so bad that I won't finish the last one in fridge. Was this slipped into the winter mixed pack... to dispose of, perhaps? That is the feeling I come away with since this beer has no "wintery" qualities and is a mediocre (at best) spring/summer brew. (1,038 characters)

More User Reviews:

I was geared up to really not like this beer, but bought it because my wife loves wheat beers and thought she might enjoy something other than Blue Moon. The pour was nice with a great burnt goldish color and a nice frothy head. Lemon zest and bready malts jumped out and created an inviting scent. Flavor was perfect for a hot San Diego day with a crisp citrus bite, slight honey like sweetness and just a hint of hops in the background. All in all a very enjoyable warm weather beer, recommended. (498 characters)

I was surprised how clear this beer was, bottle says hazy, but not as hazy as a wheat should be, pale yellow and clear, tasted very light, light body easy to drink, overall not too impressed, easy drinking beer, may be good to watch a ball game or out grilling (260 characters)

Poured into a pint glass the beer was a hazy pale orange color with a medium-sized white head. It had a strong citrus aroma as well as cracker-like aroma. The citrus aroma did not translate to the taste, however. Only a very subtle lemon taste, and the aforementioned cracker. I thought this beer was on the tepid sideand not something i'd want to drink a lot of. (363 characters)

This is a better then average wheat beer, that said I don't really like most wheat beers. It is golden in color with a typical cloudy appearance but is able to maintain a good head and lacing. The aroma is typical citrus. The carbonation starts slightly harsh but sweet taste quickly takes over and finishes dry with no bitterness. (331 characters)

Cloudy pale golden color, decent head retention. Smells of lemons, bread crust and a neutral nutty yeast. There is that typical generic Pale Wheat Ale base that so many brewers go with, ho hum. It is balanced and non-offensive but no real liveliness. Lemon flavor is more peel than zest or juice which adds some bitterness and flavor, hops are real modest here. Finishes with that dull wheat beer aftertaste.

I would have preferred to see a Kölsch style or Blonde Ale, filtered with more of a sweet/sour lemon edge ... not too far off from other beers they brew; they brew a wit, beery-wits, the summer ale and now a lemon version. Is this reactionary to the cloudy beers that have come from the bigger breweries? (757 characters)

A- Beer poured a cloudy golden color with a pretty good sized head that receded fairly quickly.

S- I got this beer in a 6 pack winter sampler, and I don't know if it was just the batch but the smell was overpoweringly lemony, almost to the point where it smelled like lysol.

T- Taste followed the smell, very strong lemon taste, and like the Sam Adams Summer Ale, the citrus flavors tasted cheap to me, very uncharacteristic of Sam Adams.

M- A good bit of carbonation, but goes down pretty smooth.

D- I like most of Sam Adams' lineup, but this is not one of my favorites and I probably wont buy again. I have never seen this beer until recently, and it makes me wonder why Sam Adams would release a citrus wheat ale with their winter lineup. Definatley suited more for the spring and summer variety packs. (811 characters)

The beer pours a golden color with a white head. The beer is fairly clear. The aroma is strong on the flowery and perfume-scented hops with some wheat mixed in. The flavor is heavy on the wheat with some perfume-flavored hops. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. Easy to drink, but really nothing too exciting going on. (324 characters)

T: crisp wheat flavor with a wondefully balanced lemon flavor. the lemon is actually complex, there are a couple citrus flavors at play here without being sour. This beer suprised me. at first sip if you told me it was the summer ale I would have believed you, but its softer than summer ale, with a more rounded flavor.

M: Medium body with a clean, dry, crisp finish.

D: Not sure why this is the new spring beer. to me its more of a summer beer. its very similar to summer ale (I think it may be better, but its been 9 months since Ive had summer ale. Ill have to try a side by side). In my mind though, sam adams needs a bock, not another beer similar to two they already have. That said its very drinkable and refreshing, i like it, i just dont quite understand it. (906 characters)

Part of the Winter Classics pack. Seriously, Sam Adams, what a bad choice for this pack. Obviously, they are promoting their new beer (replacing the Hefeweizen), but this is bad timing, therefore bad marketing. Anyway, I will be objective...

Serving glass: Poured from bottle into Summit glass, which kind of works as a small Weizen glass.

Appearance: Light, cloudy orange gold with very thick foamy head which clings to the side. Bubbles continuously rise to the top.

Taste: Simple wheat malts that are borderline sweet, countered by a nice lemon bite. The addition of lemon peels makes this a little better than the old Hefeweizen but they could have tried to improve the malts, which remain a little too sweet and simple.

Feel: Moderately high carbonation, relatively light body that is somewhat creamy. The lemon allows it to end drier than the old Hefeweizen.

Drinkability: Once again, better than the old Hefeweizen, but still nothing too special. It certainly is drinkable and I might have been a little happier with it if they hadn't stuck it in the Winter Pack.

Jim - why did you replace the Hefe (which was NOT a Hefe, but an American Wheat) with another American Wheat? Why not make a real Hefeweizen? (1,291 characters)